The Edge of Sweetness
by sakuraheartz
Summary: For NatsumeSeries Contest: He had loved her as a child, but he loved her more as a woman she had grown into. But what did it matter? Mikan Sakura was a job. Nothing else. She was still his past. AU


**The Edge of Sweetness  
**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice

* * *

Natsume Hyuuga could hear his leather shoes clacking on the marble floor of the vast atrium as he headed towards the reception desk.

"I'd like to see Mr. Sakura," he said to the woman. The twenty five year old made his tone slightly more cultured than he would usually bother to do.

The whole time, the receptionist was scribbling something on her notepad and a phone in between the crook of her neck.

"Whom shall I say?" the woman inquired and finally looked at him.

Immediately, the phone slid down the floor with a loud thud and her mouth gaping at the man in front of her.

'Here we go again,' Natsume groaned inwardly.

His raven hair complimented his strong, fierce features. Arching cheekbones underscore intense eyes, the brilliant crimson irises ringed in dark brown. His razor sharp nose had been broken at some point, but it only added to the unrelenting maleness of him, edging his appearance from the realm of stunningly handsome toward dangerously intriguing. More noticeable was his broad mouth that had a scar that hooked the side of his upper lip slashed toward his cheek.

"Natsume Hyuuga," he said, increasing his voice to snap the woman out of her dreamy gaze.

Alerted, the woman clumsily grabbed the phone that was previously dropped on the floor and dialed the phone.

"P –Please wait at the lounge area until I get the permission to let you inside his office."

He nodded and then he took a seat on one of the dark grey leather sofas that were arranged neatly around a glass table. In front of him, laid out with pristine precision, were the day's leading newspapers in half a dozen languages.

Finding nothing that amused him in the paper, he thought back to the event that had cause him to come to the one of the most prominent buildings in Japan, the Sakura Corporation.

…**Flashback…**

"Damn it, Andou!" Natsume slammed his fist on Tsubasa's office table. "You said that mission was the last one!"

Unaffected, the man pushed his leather chair back and stood, walking over to a cabinet that concealed a well-stocked refrigerator. He pulled out a small bottle of sparking water and took a swig.

"Something came up."

Grunting, Natsume sat in the chair in front of his desk, still fuming with anger. "What is it this time?"

Despite being in his early thirties, Tsubasa had the look of a twenty year old. He was easily over six feet tall. His raven hair drew attention to his dark blue eyes, and a permanent smile etched on his face. Without a doubt he was good-looking, but also exuded the aura of friendliness.

"I knew you would agree!" Tsubasa said happily and sat on his chair.

How could he not? Tsubasa was the one who saved him from being starved and bullied in the orphanage. The man had saved his life and would do anything to repay him back, even though Tsubasa annoyed him to hell.

When Tsubasa asked him if he could join the 'Tsubasa Security Team' as his secret agent, he immediately agreed.

"I have a job for you to protect the daughter of the Sakura." Tsubasa said, folding his arms.

"Sakura?" Natsume asked back.

"Of the Sakura Corporations. Yes."

"Care to feel in the details?" Natsume asked gruffly, still not interested in the whole matter.

"Does the name Ishimaru Hayato, rings a bell?" Tsubasa grinned slyly as he saw Natsume's eyes widen and a shocked expression plastered on his face.

"What about him?" Natsume asked angrily.

He remembered when Tsubasa had sent him on a secret mission two years ago, to spy upon Hayato's warehouse. One of Tsubasa's friend, Tobita Yuu, the Chief Police of Japan had information that Hayato had smuggled more than two thousands packets of heroin and illegal drugs, so he asked Tsubasa to send an agent to confirm the information.

When Natsume entered the warehouse, he immediately felt something was off. His suspicions were soon answered when someone hit him at the back of his head, sending him sprawling on the floor.

In a daze, he felt Hayato grab his hair and lifted his face to level with the man's gaze.

He could see that Hayato could have looked like Yoda and it wouldn't matter. This was a man who'd lived a life of dangerous pursuits. Ruthlessness blazed in his eyes and was echoed in the grim lines etched into his scowling face. Any hint of gentleness had been carve away long ago, honing his appearance to the bare essence of a man who lacked softness and compassion and all things temperate, and certainly didn't compromise or yield, no matter how overwhelming the odds.

Natsume cursed his carelessness. In his dizziness, he could picked up the words "information had leaked" and "change base" and then he could hear shuffling of feet and then there was nothing but silence.

"I don't know how you found me," Hayato said menacingly. "Let this be a lesson to not mess with me."

Natsume feel the searing pain of a knife blade from the edge of his mouth to his cheek and then punches were thrown at his body until he was unconscious.

He was found by Tsubasa two days after in the alley downtown, miles away from the now destroyed warehouse. Natsume know that for the first time, he had failed his mission.

"He had proposed to my uncle's daughter, but she has rejected him," said Tsubasa as he broke Natsume's train of thought.

Natsume asked curiously,"So it means that Yukihara is actually your uncle, huh?"

Tsubasa nodded. "You'll be perfect. Mikan is a _bit_ on the stubborn side, and I say stubborn with a capital S. I'm afraid it'll take a strong man to stand up to her."

Mikan. That name stirred him inside. The name that he wanted desperately to forget, but didn't want to do so at the same time. The name that was connected to his painful past.

"So will you do it, Natsume?" Tsubasa asked hopefully.

He sighed. "This better be the last one."

Natsume turned his back on him and was about to grab the door knob when Tsubasa called him back.

"Don't fail me like Ruka did last time."

Natsume stared at him for a few seconds before he opened the door.

"I won't."

…**End Flashback…**

"Mikan…" he murmured the name of his childhood friend. The only friend that he had when he was stuck in some backwater village with an abusive father and baby sister.

He took out a necklace that hung around his neck and stared at the pendent attached to it. It was a round shiny orange stone that was no bigger than a pea. He held the pendent in his palm and squeezed it gently.

"Mr. Hyuuga?" the receptionist called out to him. "The president is waiting for you at the 31st floor."

The woman bowed before she blushed and got back to her position.

Natsume pushed the button to the 31st floor and remained quiet in his spot as the elevator moved.

A few seconds later, the elevator came to a stop and the door opened with a bell that indicated he had arrived to the 31st floor.

He came upon yet another door and saw the nameplate that said "Yukihara Izumi. President of the Sakura Corporation."

He knocked the door three times before he heard someone telling him to come inside the room.

Immediately, he saw Yukihara Izumi sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. The man possessed more money and power than almost anyone in the whole country of Japan and some more. Beside him was his wife, Azuma Yuka. She was known for her beauty as well as for her skill and talent with fabrics.

According to the report that he had read about the Sakura family, Yuka and her daughter had opened up a successful boutique across the street. They had named it "Fragaria Vesca" meaning "Strawberry Passion" in Latin. The name itself caught his attention since he dearly loved strawberries, which is a trait that he just can't get rid of.

Natural light from the floor-to-ceiling window illuminated the room and he bowed slightly before he stood in front of them. Yuka had a brilliant smile on her face while her husband was scowling as he shifted in his seat.

"Please take a seat," Yuka said cheerfully.

Politely, Natsume pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the huge modern desk and sat. He waited for the two to say something, knowing that they expected him to accomplish something he didn't feel like doing now or any time in the near future.

It was Yukihara who break the moment of silence. "All right, we don't need a damn bodyguard! Here's a check to cover up the trouble that you have to go through just to get here."

Yukihara snatched a Montblanc fountain pen from on his desk and scribbled without pausing from his checkbook.

"Honey!" Yuka slapped her husband's arm. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hyuuga. After the incident, my husband just doesn't trust any other men aside from Tsubasa."

Turning to her husband, she gritted her teeth and threateningly murmured to him, "For the sake of our daughter, just do it!"

Natsume knew what she means by "the incident". Tsubasa had filled him in earlier before he went to the building that Hayato had threatened the whole family after Mikan had rejected his proposal for the second time.

"That…midget!" Yukihara groaned angrily referring to Hayato.

"You see, Mr. Hyuuga," Yuka sighed. "My daughter doesn't see how serious the situation has become. She has refused every one of the bodyguards that we have hired for her."

_Great. A spoiled rich girl._

"Show him the photo album, darling." Yukihara slowly opened up the drawer and grabbed a red hardcover book, holding it out to him. "Here's the picture of our daughter."

When Natsume took the book from Yukihara's hand, the latter refused to let go of the book; thus, causing the two to have a small battle of tug war.

"Give him the album!" Yuka said icily.

Sighing in defeat, Yukihara let the album go, sending Natsume a glare.

Natsume's eyes widened as soon as he saw the picture of the daughter, Mikan. She was a very young, but attractive. Her dark brown hair reached her waist and was expertly cut to suit today's modern fashion. Her familiar brown eyes sparkled, as if she might burst into laughter. Her lips were full and curvaceous that looked fantastic with brilliant red lipstick. From the photo, he could see that she was tall, leggy with a curvy figure that enhanced the business suits she liked to wear.

His eyes stared at the necklace that she was wearing and was slightly shocked to find that the pendent was the exact replica of his own except that the stone was crimson red.

'It's her,' he thought.

But what did it matter? Mikan Sakura was a job. Nothing else. She was still his past.

"Pretty," he said, looking at the Mr. and Mrs. Sakura.

"Pretty my ass, young man. She's beautiful," said Yukihara proudly.

Natsume's lips started to curl in a smile, but he forced back the impulse. He thumbed through the album pages, watching years sail by –watching Mikan Sakura transform like someone caught in a time machine. When he reached the last photos at the back of the book, he saw a young girl of not more than ten years old with short-cropped hair staring at the window. Her arms were crossed, her lips barely cocked in a smile.

"That was the day when we moved from The Alice Village," Yuka caught him staring at the picture. "She was crying for hours, begging to see a friend of her who survived a fire."

"I remember that," Yukihara rubbed his chin. "The father was an ass, but the children were very much disciplined."

"I heard the girl died from the fire, but the boy survived." Yuka looked at her husband with a sympathetic smile. "I wonder what happened to him now. I hope that he's become a fine young man."

Natsume smiled inwardly. He wondered what reaction the couple would have if he did tell them that the "boy" was him.

"She mustn't find out what you are," Mrs. Sakura said as Natsume closed the album. "If she does, you'll never be able to keep her safe."

"Don't forget that we will be listening to the '250 Reasons Why My Parents Shouldn't Hire a Bodyguard' if she ever found out again." Yukihara added.

"That too," Yuka rubbed her forehead.

"Well then, when can you start this job?" Yukihara finally stood up from his chair.

Natsume stood up and replied. "As soon as possible."

The two men shook hands, and the deal was sealed.

* * *

As soon as he walked out of the building, Natsume crossed the street to his car.

He was trying to digest all the information in his head and trying to picture the scenery on how he would meet with her again.

After all this time, he had thought that she had left him for good. He remembered that day as if it was just yesterday.

That was the day he had killed someone; the day he killed his father.

…**Flashback…**

"Show me the color of your stone, Natsume!" A ten year old Mikan puffed her cheeks as the boy beside her refused to listen to her.

The two were currently standing outside the girl's house after their "adventure" at the Alice cave.

The Alice village was famous for its "magical stone" which could be found in the cave. The colour of the stones were initially white, but when you give the stone a gentle squeeze then the stone will permanently turn to another colour according to the person's personality. The stones were also called Alice Stones.

"I've shown you mine, and it's only fair that you show me the color of your stone," she pleaded.

"I didn't ask you to show your stone to me," Natsume shrugged.

"Natsume, please!"

Mikan gave him a pout that they both knew he can't resist and then he sighed.

Natsume sighed and pulled the small crimson stone from the pocket of his pants. "Here."

"Wai! It's so pretty!" Mikan took the stone from his hand and lifted it over her head that the stone reflected the bright sunlight. "It's the same colour with your eyes!"

"So you think that my eyes are pretty, huh?" Natsume smirked.

"You're so full of yourself, Natsume," she rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait here!"

Then she rushed into her house and was gone for a few minutes before she run back to him, holding two necklaces in her hand.

"Lookie, Natsume!" she holds the necklaces with the stone as the pendent. "I've made our stone into a necklace!"

"How…nice," he replied back, feeling bored.

"Here, I'll give you my stone and I have yours!" she handed it to him. "It'll be the symbol of our friendship!"

Natsume sighed. "Do you even know the meaning of exchanging Alice Stones?"

"Hmm?" she tried to fasten the necklace on her neck, but was having the hard time to do so. "Is there any meaning to it?"

Natsume sighed then he moved behind her and he fastened the necklace for her. "I'll tell you when we were older, little girl."

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" she shouted at him.

"All right, whatever Polka dots." Natsume then walked to the direction of his house and waved his hand without looking back at her.

"Natsume you pervert!" He heard her screamed.

He then quickened his pace and then pulled the necklace and stared at the orange stone on his hand. He smiled as he put the necklace on his neck and let the stone dangle above his chest.

When he lifted up his face, he was shocked to find that there were smoke coming out of his house.

"Wah!" Aoi concealed her face using her arms as the fire caused the some part of the ceiling crumbled and hit her in the head.

"Aoi!" Natsume rushed to his unconscious sister; blood was gushing out of the scar on her forehead.

He lifted her up on his arms and tried to get out of the house; however, the front door was locked when he tried to open it.

'Strange. I don't remember locking the door when I came in.' He placed his sister beside him and tried punching and kicking the door to not avail.

Natsume coughed when he inhaled the smoke in the air. "I promise I'll get you out of here, Aoi!"

"Where are you going?" a husky voice was heard from behind him. "Are you trying to leave?"

Something cold and hard pressed against the behind his head. Natsume jerked, a frightened gasp slipping past his lips. His eyes snapped open and he gazed into the glacial eyes of his father.

Stark fear rippled through his body, but he didn't make a noise, certain he meant business.

Ever since his mother's death, his father had become a drunken bastard. He would come home and beat up the two of them since their crimson eyes reminded him of his wife.

Paralyzing terror coursed through him before he could stop it, and for a moment his entire body went immobile.

"We're going to meet your mother soon, Natsume," his father laughed humorlessly. "We're going to be a family again!"

For a while, he thought that it was his fate to die at that moment, until he saw the reflection of his necklace from a nearby mirror. 'Mikan.'

It all happened in a swift second. Natsume tried to grab the pistol from his father's hand and they struggled for a while.

"Let go of…" his father gasped when Natsume accidentally pulled the trigger.

Natsume's eyes widened and then he pulled back to stare at his bloody hands.

"You insolent brat!" Natsume's father hit him with the back of the pistol, sending him half-conscious.

The last thing he remembered - he felt himself falling into the darkness, the immeasurable blackness that stretches far beyond his closed eyelids.

That was when he heard Mikan's voice calling out for him in his head. She's stopped him from falling, but he hadn't landed yet. Then he felt someone lifted him up and the person called for the ambulance.

He felt lightheaded, but then he was out.

…

Natsume opened his eyes slowly. White light blinded him. Slowly, objects came into focus, causing him to realize that he was in a hospital.

He immediately sat upright as he remembered the incident before he was transferred to the hospital.

"Hyuuga –san, please lay back," said a nurse who was checking his condition, tried to get him lay back on the bed.

"Aoi!" he said to the nurse, grabbing the sleeve of her white uniform. "Where's my sister?"

By the look of sympathy in her face, but he recognized it, and despised the look on the spot. Natsume shook his head. "No, you're lying!"

He kept on screaming and kicking before the nurse and the doctors managed to calm him down.

He later found out that his father had died in the fire while his sister died of blood lost. Aoi was then buried beside his mother in a small funeral ceremony. He also found out that the day he was admitted to the hospital was the day Mikan and her family had moved from the village.

Since he was a minor, he was sent to the orphanage where he spent his days being bullied and starved most of the time. The caretaker for the orphanage didn't care for the children, but for money.

He was left there for two agonizing years until Tsubasa took Natsume into his care.

That was when he decided to forget about his past and start anew.

…**End Flashback…**

Thunder boomed, breaking him from his wandering thoughts.

He cursed as the first drop of rain hit his face.

Natsume fished out for his keys, but before he could even open the door to his car, someone bumped him from behind.

He turned around and was surprised to find the daughter who he was working for. She looked more beautiful like the one in the photo album; only real this time.

Her brown eyes widen at the sight of him, and Natsume knew that she realized who he was when her gaze traveled to the necklace he was wearing.

"Na –" she was about to say his name when they heard a shout from behind them.

"Well, looky what we got here. A pretty boy saving a damsel in distress. Get outta my way, I've got business with the lady." The man said as his face contorted into a mean smile.

The man's thinning dark hair looked as if someone had tried to style it with a chainsaw. It fell around his head in wild disarray. His getup included a black leather vest and a pair of mud-splattered jeans that barely stayed up around his beer belly.

"Correction, her business is my business. You're not going to touch her," Natsume said, his voice rough, deep and uncompromising. He stepped in front of her, hidding her from the man's view.

The man made a low grunt. "I said, get outta my way. Or maybe you'd like me to break your neck first?"

Mikan didn't move, her heart banging in her chest and her throat tight. She hugged herself and brushed her bangs from her eyes, which were wet from the rain. Feeling helpless, she leaned closer to the car.

She was afraid that the person might hurt Natsume, since the man drew out his pocket knife. This misconception changed seconds later when Natsume reached for the man and hauled him up by the scruff of his neck.

"Let go of me!" the man choked.

"Only if you stay away from her."

Grunting from the lack of oxygen, the man shouted, "All right, just let go of me already!"

Natsume then release his grip and let the man fall to the ground gasping for air.

"Don't expect you've seen the last of me!" the man said hoarsely before he ran away to the other direction.

Natsume turned to face her and she prayed that he didn't hear the thumping sound of her heartbeat.

"You okay?" he asked, his lips softening.

"Um…yeah…I'm…" Before she could finish the sentence, the dizziness increased, and her vision went fuzzy. She supported her weight by leaning against the car. Seconds later a pair of muscular arms went around her, steadying her.

"Let's get you warm first." He gripped her smooth, small hand in his, holding it as they crossed the street into a small restaurant. That was when he realized that she was having trouble walking.

He frowned and as soon as they entered the restaurant, he found a small, dark corner booth at the rear of the bar with a half moon shaped seat cushion large enough for two. The square-topped table was draped with a long, white tablecloth.

He ushered her to scoot across the leather seat to the center before he slid in next to her. Once they were seated, Natsume finally notice the red dress she was wearing as she crossed her foot to rub her sore ankle. The dress practically clung to her like a second skin, making him appreciate the woman's body.

Before he could say anything, a casually dressed waitress sauntered to their table, blushing slightly at the sight of him.

"What can I get you?" the waitress asked flirtingly.

"Hot chocolate," he said. "What about you?"

Mikan lifted her head to face him. "Umm, a hot chocolate would be nice."

"Two hot chocolates," Natsume said, raking his wet hair.

"Oh…and I would like a box of Howalon too, please?" Mikan said as the waitress nod and the disappeared across the room.

"You still love to eat that crap, huh?" Natsume leaned in closer, touching his shoulder to hers, turning his body slightly so he could see her stunning brown eyes.

"Whatever, Natsume," she replied, with a shrug. "And it's not crap. It's food!"

He replied back by giving her a smile, which send her blushing. The sound of his name from her mouth brought a swell on his heart.

"Thank you," she said, avoiding his gaze. "For just now."

"Why did the guy chase you anyway?" he asked her.

"Oh…that guy?" she fidgeted uncomfortable on her seat. "He works for this man and…let's just say that I turned him down…and…uh…yeah. Anyway, how you've been?"

He knew to not force her to say more on the subject and decided to go with the flow. "Been good. You?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Mikan smiled, trying to ease down the awkwardness. "I miss you, Natsume."

He wanted to say that he missed her too, but decided to go against it. "I see you're still wearing the necklace."

"I can see you're still wearing it too," she laughed lightly.

"What happen to your…" Mikan traces her own face to show that she was talking about his scar.

"Some accident," he replied nonchalant.

Mikan just nodded back.

Then, the waiter brought their food and drinks and stole another wistful glance at Natsume before she walked away.

"So…" Mikan tried to start the conversation. "What are you doing here?"

Natsume raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong with me being here?"

"Well…" she fiddles with her cup. "I've never seen you here before."

"I needed a place to get away." He shrugged, "Some peace and quiet."

"Here in Tokyo?" she scoffed. "Well, good luck with that."

It was true. He was planning to quit the agency now that he had trained new recruits to be a secret agent just like him. "Of course they won't be as strong as me," he would always say this to Tsubasa.

Natsume hated city life and couldn't wait until he could buy a cabin somewhere near the beach and take a long, long sabbatical from the noise and reality of Japan. But right now he must perform a job, that meant delaying his plans for more months. At least until his boss's cousin was safe. After that he could take six months, maybe more, and let the world fade away.

"Any place you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

"Somewhere near the beach," he smiled. "Imagine this: fresh air, silence; all except for the whisper of the breeze."

"Sounds nice." Mikan closed her eyes. "I think I really need that nowadays."

"Why don't you come with me then?" he asked, tilting his face to face her.

A huge blush burned her face but she smiled anyway, "Maybe I will."

"And then we can explore any hidden cave there," he said.

"And collect some weird things," she agreed. "…just like the old times."

"Yeah," he murmured. "Just like the old times."

There was a moment of pause.

"What happened to us, Natsume?" she asked, looking at him.

"We've decided to move on," he shrugged.

"I did send you a letter," she said. "But they sent the letter back saying that you weren't there anymore."

"Doesn't matter," he took a gulp of his hot chocolate. "I wouldn't reply to it anyway."

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy here?" Mikan said exasperatedly.

"Of course I feel betrayed when my best friend didn't tell me that she's moving the day I needed her the most."

Mikan was taken aback by his statement. It was her that usually said that they were best friend, not him. To think that that he would admit it now meant a lot to her.

"You called me your best friend," she smiled happily.

He rolled his eyes and looked outside. The rain had stopped then he finished his drink. "Whatever, I'm going."

Natsume scooted over from his seat and marched to the cashier.

Mikan hastily finished her drink, ignoring the stinging pain from her tongue by the hot chocolate, grabbed the box of Howalon and ran quickly to his side.

"I've paid for you," he put the change money in his wallet. "So, I'll see you around."

"Wait!" she held his wrist.

"Can you wrap up 5 pieces of crab cakes please?" Mikan said to the waitress as she nodded.

"My mother and I opened a boutique across the street," happiness was written on her face. "I want you to see the shop."

"Whatever," he grunted. His job was to protect her anyway.

After she paid for the crab cakes, they went out of the store and walked on the pavement.

"This is my father's company," she said as they passed the Sakura Corporation.

'Yeah, I know,' he thought to himself.

"The shop is two blocks away from here." They turned to the corner of the building and he could see the sign clearly.

The gold sign-writing on the shop window looked good. He got the impression that the store was filled with girly accessories and pink stuff that he hate.

"We're here." She pushed the door opened. "Well, come on in."

Instead of finding childish polka dot design that she loved when they were ten, he found the room elegant and professional.

Wooden floors, rich Oriental rugs, and select apparel tastefully displayed all of the design clothes were neatly hanging on one side of the room.

"So…" she looked at him, didn't quite understand why his opinion mattered to her. "What do you think?"

"It's nice," he replied. "Not quite what I expected it to be."

"What do _you_ expect it to be?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as if she knows what he's going to say.

"Polka dots and something girly," he smirked.

"Okay fine!" she flailed her hands. "I did suggest that I want the boutique to have some polka dots design but my mum decided against it."

He was about to tease her back when they heard someone coming out of the room behind them.

"Mikan, where's my crab cakes?" a woman with raven hair and amethyst eyes emerged from the counter. She was wearing a simple black dress with a delicate crystal beaded skirt, reaching just below her knees, and a sleeveless beaded top. It was elegant, and outlined her slender curves.

"Why are you drenched?" Hotaru asked her again, and then she narrowed her eyes to Natsume. "What are you doing here?"

"Eh, you know Natsume?" Mikan asked her best friend while she put the crab cakes onto a near table.

Before Hotaru could reply back, they heard the front door opened and a blond man with a pair of cerulean eyes stared at the small crowd in front of him.

"Natsume?" the blond looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and happiness. "Is that really you?"

Natsume waved his hand in greeting and smiled.

Ruka was wearing a blue t-shirt and black jeans over his white doctor coat. He was attractive too, in a somewhat unorthodox kind of way, his face was too strong and tough for straightforward handsomeness, but carried a quality which was more powerful than pretty-boy good looks.

"It has been a while, eh?" Ruka shake his hand with Natsume.

"How did you all know each other?" Mikan asked curiously.

Chuckling, Ruka turned to face her. "He's my friend when we were in the army."

Mikan nodded and hummed in understanding.

"Go change your clothes, Mikan," Hotaru said, and then she took the crab cakes that Mikan had brought for her to the small lounge area at the corner of the boutique.

Natsume watched the brunette disappear to the back of the room, joining Ruka and Hotaru at the lounge area.

"Why army?" Natsume asked Ruka.

"I can't come up with anything else," the latter shrugged.

"Has Mr. Sakura hired you as the new bodyguard now?" Hotaru asked the raven haired as she continued munching her crab cakes.

Natsume wasn't really surprised with the question, knowing that her family's company was the one who supplied the inventions and gadgets for their missions.

"Company protocol," Natsume reminds her. "I'm not allowed to tell you anything."

"Just remember that I'll slit your throat if you ever hurt her," Hotaru narrowed her eyes at him.

"Whatever," he turned to face Ruka. "So you managed to become a vet now?"

"Yeah," Ruka beamed at him. "I've opened a vet shop five blocks away from here."

"I see," Natsume nodded.

Suddenly, Hotaru cupped her mouth and ran to the nearest bathroom.

Both of them were startled by her sudden movement, and could hear the sounds of her vomiting and the taps running.

"How many months?" Natsume smirked at Ruka.

"Almost two months." Ruka stood up and was headed to the bathroom.

"I remember the question that you asked me the night I decided to quit the agency," Ruka paused halfway and turned around to face him.

Natsume looked at him, showing that he was listening.

"No, I don't regret my choice," he said. "One day, when you're in my position, you'll understand."

Natsume watch him disappear to the bathroom, and he was left staring blankly at the wall.

One of the rules when you become a secret agent was that you shouldn't fall in love with the client, but that was what Ruka did.

He fell in love with his client. Even though he managed to complete his mission successfully, he was left with broken bones and he can't see with his right eye, but considering that he became a vet and expected a baby on the way, it must have been going well for him.

"Love, huh?" Natsume muttered out.

"Where's Hotaru and Ruka-pyon?" a familiar voice called out to him.

Natsume turned around and momentarily forgot to breathe.

She wore pink. He hated pink. He'd always hated pink. It was for flowers or cotton candy. But Mikan Sakura in pink was a whole different matter. The dress she wore was cut at the knee and cinched at the waist, showing her hourglass figure –just enough that she looked elegant, yet would also drive a man to drool.

"They're in the bathroom," his gaze swept over her. "Did I tell you how much I like the colour pink?"

"No, you didn't," she said primly and took a piece of crab cakes before she sat beside him.

Natsume snickered when he saw the crumbs beside her mouth.

She licked her fingers and frowned when she saw his staring at her with an amusement.

She blushed. "W –what?"

"You're such a pig," he rubbed the crumbs off her face using his thumb.

"Wha –?" she pouted. "Meanie."

"I thought that you've changed into a more elegant woman over the years," he leaned closer. "But I guess I was wrong."

"And you're always have short eyebrows," she murmured as their forehead touched.

"Yeah," he admitted and they closed their eyes. "But women still find me handsome."

Mikan giggled and then pushed him away. "You're still full of yourself Natsume!"

They were slightly startled when the grandfather clock started to chime.

Natsume looked at his watch and then he stood in front of her. "I've got to go."

It was true. He had to report on his progress back to Tsubasa, after all, he was there because he was "hired" to protect her.

Mikan also stood up, a bit disappointed that he had to leave so soon. "Will you be coming back here?"

He looked at her hopeful face and then he wrapped his arm around her back and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said and then he walked out of the store leaving her smiling, tracing her fingers over her forehead where he kissed her.

* * *

"Tell me why you didn't do this mission yourself," Natsume asked Tsubasa as he stands in front of his desk. "You're her cousin right?"

Tsubasa's shoulder slumped immediately and looked at him with a dejected face. Natsume sighed and was prepared to hear the childish bantering from the former. A side of him that Natsume always saw whenever Tsubasa wanted to get his attention.

"You see, Natsume," he began. "She was the clumsiest person I ever met, because that I tend to become overprotective over her."

"No argument over here." Natsume knows how clumsy the brunette can be. She was the only person he knew who would trip on a flat surface.

"And one day," Tsubasa continued. "She says that she hates me and didn't want to see me!"

Natsume eyebrow rose. "And when was this happened?"

Tsubasa fiddle with his fingers. "Last month?"

Natsume rolled his eyes and then he turned his back on him, losing interest in whatever he was going to say.

"Listen to me, Natsume!" Tsubasa called out to him. "I was merely saying that that she would get fat if she would eat Howalon everyday!"

"This is your mess, fix it yourself," he shrugged.

"Natsume!" He heard Tsubasa wailed from his office as he walked out of the building.

* * *

Natsume headed to the gym in front of the brunette's shop. He was thankful for the convenient position in the street. That way it easy to watch her without getting suspicions from the public or the brunette herself.

It has been two weeks since he started doing his job and aside from the arguments and tantrums the brunette had with him, his plans to protect her so far was full proof.

He headed to the weight machine and glanced out the window as he lay down on the bench to accomplish his late morning workout. He watched as people come in and out of the boutique with a happy smiles on their faces.

Natsume frowned as he saw the appreciative glance when they saw the brunette. A protective streak had knifed through him.

No, he wasn't an idiot. He knew what it was, but he won't risk himself or her until his "job" was completed. He had loved her as a child, but he loved her more as a woman she had grown into.

Lying back on the pads of the weight machine, he maneuvered his head and shoulders under the bar holding the disks. He lifted the bar off the rack and pushed it upward, straining with effort as he forced the weights to do his bidding. He let out a grunt as his biceps and triceps quivered.

"Morning, Natsume," Ruka said comically as he sat on the unused weight machine beside him, looking down at him.

"Buzz off, Ruka," Natsume grunted as he ignored him while pushing the bar up and down.

"Is that the way you should greet an old friend?" Ruka snickered.

"What do you want?" Slowly he lowered the bar, gravity shoving his arms down. He pushed up again, centering his entire concentration into the effort. Each push he let out a grunt, the weight testing his limit.

"You're in my position now, Natsume," the blond smiled.

"What do you mean, Ruka?" his crimson eyes narrowed as Ruka chuckled.

"So when are you going to tell her?" His smile widened.

Natsume grunted. "I'll tell her when I feel like telling her."

Ruka finally stood up and walked behind him. "You're losing your touch, Natsume." He added more weights to the bar.

"Oi, oi, what are you doing?" Natsume pushed the bar up again despite the added weight, muscles protesting the treatment. He groaned as he forced the bar into submission.

"I'll see you around, Natsume," Ruka waved his hand and walked out of the gym.

Sweat popped out on his forehead. He looked at his watch and decided it was time visit Mikan.

* * *

Mikan sighed as she watched the clock with anticipation. The grandfather clock was showing five minutes to ten.

She blushed again as she remembered the conversation she had with her best friend.

She had told Hotaru that her heart was "all pitter-patter" whenever she was with Natsume. A feeling that was so strange yet brought warmth to her body. She finally accepted her feelings for him as Hotaru drilled the information into her head the night before. She was in love with him.

Mikan was snapped back to reality as the bell from the front door jingled. Half-expecting the crimson eyed lad, she was surprised when Hayato came inside the boutique with two of his men, one of them was plump and short and the other was tall and lanky.

When she was about to run to escape through the back door, his men grabbed her arms and locked her into place, turning her to face Hayato. Since he was a lot shorter than her, his lackeys pushed her down so that she was on the level with him.

"You're not going to say no now, princess," Hayato leaned his face to face her. "Sign this!"

Hayato held out a printed paper in front of her. "What is this?" she asked.

"Our marriage certificate." Hayato laughed mischievously. "Just imagine how much money we will get from your father. Now sign it!"

"And if I don't?" she challenged him.

_Natsume. Natsume, where are you?_

The plump guy hit her legs, ramming her onto the cold wooden floor. She gasped for breath.

"Sign it!" Hayato forced a pen on her hand and forced the paper on her face.

"Let her go or I'll blow a hole clean through you!"

Mikan knew that voice anywhere.

"Natsume," she barely gasped the word as relief filled her.

"I'm right here, Mikan. It's going to be all right once I get this asshole off you.

"Who the hell?" Hayato's voice rasped. "Wait, I've seen you before."

"Yeah," Natsume smirked. "And things will not end up like last time."

"We'll see about that," Hayato snapped his fingers as his men released their death grip on Mikan and she rose with all her strength, and staggered to the wall behind her.

"Get him!"

The two men threw punches and kicks to Natsume, but he avoided their attacks skillfully. He grabbed the tall man's arm to avoid the plump man's punch which hit the tall man instead, sending him unconscious.

The fat man was baffled when he saw that his partner was unconscious, and didn't realized when Natsume kicked the man's abdomen, causing him to howl in pain before he cowardly ran out of the store.

"Damn," Hayato cursed and he pulled out his gun, aiming the shot to Natsume. "Looks like the game is over, pretty boy," he snickered.

Natsume didn't have the time to move from his position when Hayato pulled the trigger.

"No!"

It all happened in a blink of an eye. When Mikan saw Hayato took out his gun, she immediately ran in front of Natsume, shielding him from the bullet.

"Mikan!" Natsume held her body as the bullet went her arm.

Hayato spat at the floor before he took off the boutique.

"You're bleeding!" Natsume gasped and grabbed a nearby cloth before wrapping the clothes over the wound. "Hold on!"

Tears surged into her eyes as Natsume eased her into his arms and carried her in his arms. "I thought I wouldn't live to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Natsume hold her closer as she rested her head to the crook of his neck, trying to avoid her injured arm at the same time.

"Something I should have said before."

"Tell it after I get you into the hospital!" he snapped. "I'm not going to lose you again!"

He could feel her mouth curved at the side of his neck. "All right."

Seconds later, her world went dark.

* * *

When Mikan opened her eyes, she found a hospital room with two of the people she loved.

Her parents sat on either side of her bed, each holding her hand.

"Mom," Mikan whispered through dry lips. "Dad."

Yuka smiled. "Oh, God. Thank God, you're awake. It's been hours and we were so worried."

Her father squeeze her other left hand and grinned wider. "You're going to be all right. A concussion caused by the blood lost from the shot and some bruises. But other than that, you're fine."

Her whole body throbbed, her head included.

The memories of the incident came back to her. "What happened to Hayato?"

"The police had arrested him for the illegal possession of drugs found in his apartment." Yukihara said plainly. "The police were finally able to prove that he was guilty after all these years. And we've used the surveillance camera from the store to sue him for your injuries."

"I see," her voice trailed. "Where's Natsume?"

Her mother gave her a wobbly grin. "Outside with Hotaru and Ruka. The doctor wouldn't let them in. Only direct family members."

Yukihara sighed. "I thought the hospital guards were going to have to throw him out of his ass when he became really insistent about seeing you. We managed to calm him down."

"Of course he wants to be with her." Yuka gave him a weary look an then glanced back at Mikan. "We've told the doctor we'd keep him outside."

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Yukihara asked.

"Are you blind, honey?" Yuka glared at her husband, her brows drawing down.

Yukihara glared back. "Well, I'm only ask – "

"I want to see Natsume."

Mikan's voice silenced them both. They stared at her for a moment and then moved away from the bed.

Her mother peeked out the door, and then said, "She's awakened, and wants to see you."

As her mother moved back from the door, Mikan's heart leaped in anticipation. Even the pain in her body couldn't stifle the excitement pinging inside her as Natsume appeared at the doorway.

A huge grin parted his lips, and he walked in followed by Ruka and Hotaru.

Mikan laughed. "Well, this is quiet a menagerie."

"Looks like the idiot is fine," Hotaru walked to her bed, and pressed her arm gently, exclaiming her happiness. "No use getting worried over her."

"Hotaru," Mikan pouted.

Ruka chuckled while wrapping his arms around Hotaru's shoulder. "Feeling okay now?"

"Yeah, thanks," she beamed.

Natsume pushed by and stood the nearest, reaching for her right hand and brushed his fingers lightly against it. She shivered as the pleasant sensation distracted her from her aching body.

"I'm sorry," Mikan hung her head low. "It's my fault. If I just obey his proposal, none of this would have happened."

"And let you married to the midget?!" her father stood at the foot of her bed. "No freaking way!"

All of them laughed.

"Ahem." Yuka cleared her throat. "Let's get out of here and give these two some privacy. I think it's getting a little stuffy in here, don't you?"

After dropping her one last kiss on her forehead, all of them, excluding from Natsume, left the room. After the door swung closed with a loud snick, the hospital sounds floated away. All she could see was him.

As they stared at each other, she realized she'd never been absorbed in a man's gaze like this. Then he sat on the bed beside her with their hands still linked together, his gaze turned serious. "I thought I'd lost you again."

"You can't lose me. I'm far too annoying to get rid of," Mikan giggled.

To her surprise, she saw his eyes glisten, as if he might cry. The sight made her gut clench and her heart lurch with love.

"Look, Natsume, my life is public because of my family and fortune. There are always hazards to contend with, but that doesn't mean I hide. That's no life at all."

"I know," he kissed the back of her hand and held them against his forehead. "I…when that bastard had you down on the floor…I almost died. I've never felt like this about anyone before, Mikan."

Happiness prickled her like electricity. "Truth to tell, I wasn't afraid. 'Cause I knew that you would be there when I need you the most. Just like when we were small."

"Yeah." He reached for her necklace. "Do you remember that I will tell you the meaning of exchanging the Alice Stone?"

"Yeah!" Mikan pouted, punching his arm playfully. "You haven't told me the meaning of that!"

Natsume chuckled. "When a person gives her/his stone to another person then he/she is proposing to that person."

"So you mean…" her mouth gaped. "We've been engage all this time and I never know about it?"

"By the means of Alice Village law," he nodded. "Yes, we are engage."

She was quiet for a while before she said, "Do you remember that I need to tell you something in the boutique?"

"Yeah?" he urged her to continue.

"…I'm in love with you Natsume." She'd finally confessed her love for him, and now she could only hope he felt the same.

_Please let him feel the same._

When he didn't replied, she pulled her knees closer to her chest and buried her face in between her knees, expecting him to reject her feelings.

She cringed when he touched the side of her head. "Mikan, look at me."

Reluctantly, she lifted her head and met his gaze.

"Mikan, I love you," he whispered, kissing her across her forehead, cheeks, and chin before brushing over her nose. "I love you so much I ache, and I want to share my life with you."

Mikan did cry then, the tears tumbling down. He had to kiss them away, but she didn't mind that, either. "I can be hard to live with."

Natsume shrugged. "So what? So am I." He gave a small laugh, mirth turning his once somber gaze warm and content. "You're the most stubborn, intelligent, courageous woman I've ever met."

"Does all this sweet talk mean I'll be seeing more of you?"

He pretended to think over the question. "If I get my way, you'll be seeing a lot of me for the next sixty years or so."

Anticipation tightened her muscles. "Sixty years?"

Natsume's mouth came down on hers, soft and lingering as he took his time. When he released her, he stayed close, barely parting their lips. "And while I've got you in my arms I need an answer to one more question. Marry me?"

Bliss darted through her, sharp and undeniable. "Yes."

He dropped her one more kiss and murmured, "And then we'll build a house near the beach."

She placed her hands behind his nape. "And we can explore any hidden cave there."

"And collect some weird things," he agreed. "…just like the old times."

"Just like the old times."

* * *

"I'll be sure to miss you over here, Natsume." Tsubasa fold the former's letter of resignation. "I've got to admit, you're the best agent that I ever had."

They were currently in his office as he leaned back to his leather chair.

"Better believe that, Andou," Natsume smirked.

It had been a week since the accident. Tsubasa finally had the courage to work on his relationship with Mikan. He bought her a hundred boxes of Howalon, and was on his knees asking for forgiveness, which she accepted much to his delight.

Tsubasa folded his arms. "I wish I can find someone to fall in love with."

"Don't count on it." Turning his back on Tsubasa, Natsume waved his hand. "I'm just a lot better-looking than you are, Andou."

"Cocky bastard," Tsubasa scoffed and he grabbed his Waldmann fountain pen and then continued his paper work. Then he heard the door knocked softly and he told the person to enter.

"Mr. Andou?" the person asked.

He could sense that the person was standing in front of her but he didn't look up. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Misaki Harada," the woman said. "The new agent sent by Captain Tobita Yuu."

"Oh, yes," Tsubasa finally lifted his head to face the woman and his throat went dry.

The woman in front of him was a picture of beauty. A blend of subtle charcoals and purples contoured her eyes, matching her shoulder length auburn hair. He wondered if her gaze unnerved most people. Tsubasa liked the character it gave Misaki's otherwise flawless face.

"Um, Andou –san?"

He was startled when she waved her hand in front of him and then he faked cough to compose himself.

"So when can I start?" she asked him.

"As soon as possible."

'Maybe she is the one for me,' Tsubasa thought happily to himself. 'In your face, Natsume!'

**…****The End…**

**

* * *

**

**No ****Flame! Constructive criticism needed! AN in the profile :D**

* * *

**Thank you to:**

**bloodyrose1294 for her great edits  
**

**Chocolatexpudding for coming up with the baddie name; Ishimaru Hayato**

**Red Strings of Fate for the name of the boutique**

******cupcakes**, **teh-crazeh-one and ****sweet-blackrevenge for ****putting up on my whining/anger and childish behavior**

**Romantically Loveless and ****Vione for the opportunities**

**and to the readers who read my every words till the end of the dot**


End file.
